


Intermission and Interludes: Set 3

by Abalidoth, Emmalyn, FeatherWriter



Series: The Sydney Scroungers [7]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013), Sydney Scroungers
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Crimes & Criminals, Expanded Universe, Fate Core, Gen, Multi, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-09
Updated: 2014-05-09
Packaged: 2018-01-24 04:17:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1591418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abalidoth/pseuds/Abalidoth, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmalyn/pseuds/Emmalyn, https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatherWriter/pseuds/FeatherWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some more downtime between jobs for the Scroungers, with a tense lunch, a sparring session, an apartment intruded upon, and a strange message received. They may not be on the clock, but things are never dull for this group.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intermission and Interludes: Set 3

**Scene 1 – March 11, 2021**

Sylvie taps her fingers against the cafe table a few days after the meeting night with Zhu. The table’s outside and she’s wearing her jacket again, as the weather has taken a turn for the brisk with winter looming on the horizon. Also, she likes finding excuses to wear it now. It reminds her of Mike, and she could use some thoughts of him being here with her now.

When Corazon had finally cleared her to Drift, the last thing she had expected was Vee invoking Drift-risk protocol. Followed by explanation that Vee had stumbled into some of Seiko’s secrets. And that Sylvie would be required to meet with him after Drifting. After the way they parted on Tranquility, she has no idea what to expect from him.

She tries to still her nervousness, but she’s worried. She knows what Seiko does for a living and… while he hadn’t seemed very angry or murderous in Vee’s memories, she doesn’t know quite what to expect. Sure, the memory that she’d gotten hadn’t  _seemed_  terribly confidential. But this was  _Seiko_ … A small part of her somewhat expects to hear the distant crack of a sniper rifle right before everything goes black.

When he walks in, he’s more casually dressed than he usually is at work, but he sits down, giving her a polite nod. “Ms. Mansen.”

She returns it, but keeps eye contact the whole time, watching him warily. “Mr. Watanabe.”

"Relax," he says. "If I was here to kill you, I’d be there, not down here." He points to the balcony of a nearby shopping mall.

Her eyes flick towards it for a second before returning to him. “Good to see you haven’t thought about this or anything. Very reassuring.”

"Can you look at a machine without thinking how best to rewire it? It’s nothing personal, and not what I needed to talk to you about."

"Right. Because Miranda’s not the only one with secrets in my head now, is she?" She watches for his reaction very closely, trying to gauge just how sensitive this bit of info is that she’s got.

"Ms. Mansen, right now my priority is keeping those secrets from getting out of your head and into the hands of somebody dangerous. Zhu wouldn’t approve of one method, so I am trying calm, rational discussion. If that doesn’t work, then I  _will_  consider other methods.”

Sylvie freezes, eyes going wide. It’s the closest Seiko’s come to outright threatening her, and she was terrified enough of him already. She swallows nervously before responding. “U-understood. S-so what exactly do you want from me?”

"I don’t think… you’re a worthless teammate, Mansen. I know you have your skills, but your tendency to drop names under stress has caused… problems."

She purses her lips slightly. “I know that, but I’m not entirely sure what you want me to do about it. It’s not like I can just flip a switch and suddenly know how to keep my cool in those kinds of situations. I’ll try, but well, I’m pretty sure we both know how bad I am with these things. I figure the part of fiVe that is me is how this even slipped out in the first place, so there’s already a precedent for me messing it up.”

"Sylvie,” he says, “out of all the things you’ve done on these missions that have… caused problems, do you know the worst? To me, at least?"

She raises an eyebrow. “After all the screw-ups I’ve had this past month, I couldn’t even begin to guess.”

"Our first mission. You said my name in front of Wulagu."

"Really?" She scoffs slightly. "That’s what you’d choose? I know you said she’s a scary person, but she wasn’t even on the ship. She probably didn’t even hea—"

"She called me, right after."

Sylvie cuts off, mouth dropping open in shock. After a moment, she shuts it with a snap, trying to process what she’s just heard. “I… Seiko, I had no idea… What did she say to you?”

"That she would go after… some people under my protection. Luckily, I don’t think she has the info to hurt them. I joined up with Zhu to keep it that way, but if she hears that name, she’ll be able to make the connections and innocent people will wind up dead. And they are. Despite their less fortunate associations with somebody like me, they  _are_  innocent.”

Sylvie nods slowly. “The name… Reika?”

"Please, never say that again," he says sharply, glancing around like one of the Wulagoons might be watching them from over their teacakes at the next table.

Sylvie ducks her head, grimacing. “Sorry. Right, I’m not saying it. Not supposed to let it slip. Don’t let people find out Seiko’s secrets. I can do that, can’t I? Yeah, totally.” She sounds like she’s trying to convince herself and she’s not doing a very good job.

"Ms. Mansen, you cannot keep passing off your mistakes on immaturity. Someday, you’re going to kill somebody people  _actually_  like, and you won’t be able to pass it off with a ‘poor Sylvie Mansen’ routine until everybody feels bad and your boyfriend yells at them.”

She stiffens. “Excuse me?”

"You heard me. You say you can’t help but make mistakes? Then don’t put yourself in a position where lives are in your hands."

Her expression goes hard. “It’s a little late for that, isn’t it, Seik? Thanks to Zhu, I’m on this team for the foreseeable future and in case you haven’t noticed, we get into all kinds of dangerous situations. Look, I’m trying over here, but I’m well aware that I’m not good at this, and you sticking knives in all my weak spots and insecurities every time we talk isn’t exactly helping!”

"Oh, poor you,” he says. “You nearly get my loved ones killed but, oh no,  _I_ make you feel bad about it to make sure you understand the importance of not getting them, well, actually killed.”

She bristles. “What do you want me to do, exactly? Despite all of my best efforts, I’m apparently not doing enough for you, so how can I make this better? Or do you just want to yell at me some more?” The words are loud enough that the couple a few tables away shoots her a startled look.

"For one, when criticized, you could stop whining about how difficult everything is and how mean I am, and focus on actually doing better."

Sylvie opens her mouth, ready to lash back, then stops and shuts it. She leans back, taking a deep breath as she stares at him, trying to control her temper. “Okay then,” she says, each syllable sharp enough to cut steel. “How.”

"For self-control, think about it. Take responsibility for it. Talk to Vee. Consider getting a professional therapist. And no, that isn’t an insult. I think anybody in our line of work should get a therapist if they can."

She gives him a disbelieving look. “The killer-for-hire is telling me to get a therapist? Really?”

"I’d get one myself if they wouldn’t have to violate a number of laws to keep confidentiality," he says with a shrug.

She laughs once, more a puff of air than an actual sound. “You could try El. Don’t think she’d exactly be too shocked by what you’ve done. And she’s quite a bit better with confidentiality than me.”

"No good with somebody you know, and not the actual point. Beyond that, you should get practice in non-lethal combat. I have nothing against killing, you well know, but it’s not the sort of thing you want to do on accident."

A flash of horror twists her face for a second, then she seems to snap back to the moment. “N-no, it’s not,” she says shakily. “Mike and I have been thinking about doing some of that kind of training, but… well, I know his style. He’s slightly non-standard from the PPDC norm, but after a few weeks, I’ve managed to figure out how he moves. I don’t know how much help it’ll be.”

"I’ll train with you if it’ll help," he says. "I need to brush up my combat skills anyway. I’m a bit useless without a gun."

"I’m not sure if I should be reassured by that or not," she says. "But thanks. We could trade, if you wanted. Because despite the piloting crash course in firearms, I’ve never been very good with those."

"Might be useful,” he says. “Anyway, continue thinking. Despite what you may think, Mansen, I’d rather not have to kill you at this point."

She gives him a long look, staying quiet while she decides whether or not she wants to ask her next question. Eventually her curiosity gets the better of her fear. “…Would you though? If you knew you could get away with it? No consequences? I don’t feel like you’re the kind of person to tell polite-sounding lies, so I guess I’m asking: Would you kill me?”

"There will always be consequences. Even if I could keep Zhu from finding out, or even suspecting, even if I could keep Miranda from finding out and had another programmer of your skill level and could make sure Vee and fiVe were both saved and cared for… only if I had to."

"So… what would constitute you ‘having to’?" Sylvie says, trying not to feel sick at the morbid topic of her own death. She kinda brought it up.

"If I thought your actions were about to do real and permanent damage to me or anybody under my protection."

She glances down at the table, feeling somewhat hollow. “Pull my override, just like you did with Vee. But there’d be no one to wake me up on the other side.”

"That’s called knocking you out, Mansen. You wake up from that."

"Yeah, well if I get a vote in this little matter, I’d prefer that one, should it become necessary, ‘kay?"

"As would I. Let’s try to keep it from being necessary."

She meets his eyes, trying to look determined, rather than scared. “Right. Let’s. Try to, um, warn me before we get to that point, maybe?”

"What do you think I’m doing here?"

She actually smiles faintly. “Got it. Thanks.” She leans back, taking a sip of her water. “What exactly is this, Seiko? What are we? We have a lunch date so that you can keep me from making you assassinate me, and spit venom at each other to the point where I’m breaking down in tears… and then you try to help me with my issues and we share pomegranates in my bunk? Half the time I think you want to strangle me and the other half we end up bickering almost like we’re friends.”

"I have at no point gone out of my way to hurt you, as for the rest, I don’t much care how you want to think about it."

She gives him a flat look, then sighs. “Yeah, heaven forbid anything make sense. And if this is you not actively trying to hurt me… well.”

"I do not think you are a detestable person,” he says, “but I also feel you put the lives of the people I value most in danger. You hardly leave me in a simple position"

"Nothing’s ever simple, is it?" She sounds weary suddenly. "Programs make sense. Nice, neat little lines of code. You know exactly what they do. People? People are chaos."

"As fascinating as your view on humanity is, your lack of empathy is probably something you should discuss with that therapist I suggested, not me."

She frowns. “I don’t have a lack of empathy. I’m a very empathetic person. And what would you know? You kill people for a living.”

"It wasn’t a criticism, Sylvie. Empathy isn’t always morality. I can kill people because I have empathy and with it, I can see how they see, what they value, what their next move will be. I just don’t care."

"I…" She pauses, then sighs. "Who knows, maybe you’re right. I think I might be in the same boat as you on the therapist thing though. Not too many of those around that can treat dead fugitives, I don’t think."

"That’s what false names are for," he says with a shrug. "It’s your business though. Just talk to somebody. Phone a self-help line for all I care."

"Because we have established how good I am with fake names, right?"

"Then it would be good practice.” His voice goes slightly hard. “Leave your own safety at stake for once."

She gives him a flat look. “I don’t think so, thanks. Were there any more bits of sensitive information or threats against my life that you wanted to make, or should we call that waiter over and maybe get something to eat?”

"I can make any further threats over food," he says, waving over a waiter.

"Good enough for me." She orders something that sounds like it might taste good, not paying too much attention to it, then waits as Seiko orders and the waiter retreats once more. "It’s a good idea, though. Sparring, I mean. I’m actually kinda looking forward to it."

He smiles. “You’ll get to kick me across the room for sure,” he says.

She considers that for a moment, then smiles. “Yeah,  _definitely_  looking forward to it. When do you want to meet up? A few days from now, meet on Tranquility? You could bring Miranda too if you don’t mind an audience. Who knows, maybe I’ll call El and Katie and see if they’re free. Make a team exercise of the whole thing.”

"That could be interesting."

"Well, it’s up to you," she says lightly. "I’m not the one who’s going to get taken down to the mat."

"We’ll see how good of a shot you are before you brag," Seiko says.

She tips her head, conceding the point. “And there’s always the chance that you’re a crazy gang-style street-fighting expert who is waiting for a chance to take me down a few pegs too.”

"Not likely. I learned my moves taking modern dance classes."

She laughs a bit. “Well then, sounds like you could definitely use some help. I’ll see what I can do.”

**Scene 2 – March 13, 2021**

_Note to self,_  Sylvie thinks to herself, grunting at the effort of dragging her load up Tranquility’s gangplank.  _I should get rolling cart or something for these mats. Why did we decide to do this on Tranquility?_

Oh right. Because the idea of Seiko coming into her apartment is terrifying, and Tranquility is much more of a neutral ground.

When Seiko shows up, he’s wearing looser pants than usual and a t-shirt that looks more like something Miranda would wear, baggy and oil stained. Miranda is with him.

Eleanor is already on the deck, leaning against the rail. “Hey,” she says as she sees Sylvie. “Sorry, I was up early, so…”

Coming up behind them, Seiko grabs one of the mats and helps pull it.

Miranda follows behind them, grinning at Eleanor as she sees her. “Hey, El. Come to watch this, too?”

_Oh, right. Helping._  Eleanor sheepishly grabs a mat too, her sneakers squeaking on the floor. Hopefully the PPDC-emblazoned tank and baggy jeans don’t look too out of place. “Hey Miranda, and yeah, I thought I’d help keep score,” she says wryly. “I’m certainly not in any shape to bust a move with these two.” She juts her chin at Seiko and Sylvie.

Sylvie jumps in surprise as the two help her with the weight. “Oh, hey. Thanks. I didn’t know whether or not we’d have an audience…”

"I figured I should make sure the two of you don’t end up  _actually_  killing each other,” Miranda says, keeping an eye on the mats to make sure none of them slip off the gangplank.

Seiko gives her a flat look. “You guys realize I don’t do combat right? I hope you all came to watch me get my ass kicked by a tiny programmer, because that’s what’s happening.”

Eleanor grins. “You kidding? That’s  _exactly_  why we all came.”

He sighs. “Should’a guessed.”

Sylvie looks slightly nervous. “I still don’t believe you’re as terrible as you think you are, Seiko. Aren’t you like, crazy underworld assassin extraordinaire?”

Miranda barks out a laugh, but shuts her mouth quickly, blushing.

"With guns,” he says. “I kill people with guns. You were trained with Jaeger pilots. My formal training consists of two months of American dance class."

Sylvie shrugs, looking slightly embarrassed. “And about twelve years of martial arts classes before the Academy too…” she mumbles.

"That’s why I’m here though, right? I’m going to learn."

"Well, mine consists of a six-week class when I was 15, so." Eleanor lets the mat slap to the ground. "You both got more skills than me."

"And I’m, well… I took a few kickboxing lessons, but that was a long time ago," Miranda chimes in.

Eleanor holds her hand up to Miranda for a high-five.

"What up," Miranda says, returning it.

Sylvie shrugs off her leather jacket — the accessory is becoming near ubiquitous with her now — and starts stretching a bit, her tank top and knit sweats in various shades of blue underneath. “So, speaking of training, Seiko, what exactly do you want to do? Do you want instruction or do you just want to try a spar?”

"We should probably take a round first. Instruction will be best if you know where I’m starting from"

Miranda grabs a couple boxes and drags them over to the makeshift ring, taking a seat on one of them.

"You all better come watch me beat Mansen at laser tag later," Seiko grumbles.

"Are you kidding?" Miranda says. "I’ll be on your team for that one."

"I’ll kick both your asses at that game," Eleanor jokes, flexing one bare arm. "You can’t compete with  _these_  guns.”

Seiko frowns. “Your biceps shoot lasers?”

Eleanor narrows her eyes at Seiko. “You’ll just have to wait and find out.”

"Laser tag?"  Sylvie asks. "We’re going to play laser tag?"

He nods. “Cheaper and safer than trusting you with a real gun right away.”

Sylvie winces. “Eugh. Real guns. Yeah, let’s do laser tag.”

"For now," Seiko says, taking off his shoes, "Let’s spar."

Backing off to the sidelines, Eleanor shoots them a thumbs-up.

Sylvie slips out of her shoes as well. “I’ll try to go a little easy on you, kay?”

"Miranda,” he says, “leave flowers on my grave."

"Kick her ass, Seiko," fiVe says over the speakers.

"Try not to hurt him, Sylvie," Vee warns.

"Neither of you better make me get my med kit," Miranda says.

"My med kit right now is an ice pack," says Eleanor. "One. You have to share it." She smiles and crosses her arms.

Sylvie grins, then ready to see what he’s got, she sweeps forward, using a straightforward approach. Seeing she’s hitting high, Seiko ducks low, going for her knees. Recognizing the attack, she manages to dip low enough to get her arms inside of his, and hold him back. With a quick strike, she lands a blow to his ribs. He gasps, but falls back fast enough that it doesn’t do too much damage.

Dancing back out of his reach, Sylvie bounces on her toes. “You okay?”

"Fine," he says, straightening.

She nods, then raises her hand and curls her fingers in a “bring it” gesture.

He goes in for another swing, but this attack is nearly as ineffectual as the last. She easily ducks under his arm as it comes in, slipping around to get behind him and catching his ankle with her foot as she moves. A quick shove with her shoulder to the middle of his back sends him reeling off balance.

Eleanor winces, but claps politely. It was a good throw. Miranda starts a bit, reaching for her bag instinctively.

He hits the ground hard, and manages to roll back, but his stance is clearly a good deal shakier, even though he tries to hide it as he goes in for another punch.

This time, Sylvie feels like she’s danced around him long enough. As he swings, she grabs his arm with both hands, twisting sharply to the side. The motion yanks him off balance, and she quickly takes him down to the mat, pressing her knee into his back as she pins the arm behind him.

Miranda stiffens. “Seiko!”

He winces. “Fine, Mira. Round one goes to Mansen.”

Sylvie holds him for a moment, grinning, then steps back and helps pull him to his feet. “Sorry. You were… doing well there for a little bit?”

"Nah. It’s fine," he says, pulling off his shirt and using it to mop his brow. Underneath are a… rather impressive array of scars, from cuts, to bullet wounds, to a wide discoloration that looks like an acid spill. "Let me get a drink of water and I can go another round."

Eleanor’s eyebrows raise appreciatively, and she shoots a glance toward Miranda as if to say “ _niiiice_.” She notices the scars, too, but somehow they fit with her mental image of Seiko so well that she isn’t fazed by them. Miranda’s able to keep her actual expression from changing much, but her cheeks turn a bit red nonetheless.

Sylvie blinks, unable to keep herself from staring. For one, Seiko’s in excellent shape, and there’s a tiny bit of her that she’s pretty sure comes from Miranda’s memories which appreciates that quite a bit. But it’s the scars that really hit her. She’d had some idea that he’d had a hard life, but she’d never imagined…  _You take your life for granted too often, Sylvie. Things could be much worse for you…_

Seiko takes a long drink of the ice water he brought. “You ready to go another round?”

Sylvie takes a quick drink of her own water, wondering briefly if she should take her tank top off as well, then blushes as she realizes that she was thinking as though he were Mike. She shakes her head quickly to clear that thought away. “I… uh, yeah. I think I can go again.”

Miranda notices Sylvie’s blush, her smile fading a bit. Sylvie glances at Miranda briefly, and her expression only makes Sylvie blush redder in embarrassment.

"Eleanor, you call the start?" Seiko asks.

"Yeah," Eleanor says, drawing out the word as she watches her teammates. Interesting. "Okay…3, 2, 1,  _hajime_.”

Seiko moves in fast this time, not wanting to let himself get predictable. This turns out to be a bad plan. Sylvie’s used to Mike trying to get surprise advantages so she’s prepared for this kind of attack. She steps out of the way of his momentum, swinging her foot out for a sharp kick at his shins.

He can’t roll out of that one as well, but hops back, looking ready to go on the defensive instead. Sylvie pauses for a moment, noticing his change in tactics. She raises an eyebrow, as if asking  _'you really want me to go on the offensive?_ ’

With a small shrug, she complies, testing forward and trying to get inside his defenses. As she’s trying to spot an opening however, her eye gets caught lingering on one of the nastier-looking of his scars, a long gash across his chest. He uses the opening to get a knee into her stomach. It isn’t a good hit, but it’s the best he’s made that day.

Sylvie doubles forward, grunting as he knocks the wind out of her and stumbling back in hopes that he won’t be able to get another strike in. Before she can fully recover, he manages to get inside her guard, digging in his elbow to knock her back into a sloppy pin.

"No broken bones," Eleanor warns. "I’m not spending the day setting ribs."

Miranda’s nails are digging slightly into the box she’s sitting on, but she bites her lip, saying nothing even as her blush darkens.

Taking a breath, he manages to adjust his grip so she’s pinned cleaner. “My victory,” he wheezes.

"I think Seiko’s got this one," says Eleanor tentatively. "Miranda? What do you think?"

Sylvie struggles a bit, testing that he’s actually got her pinned, then reluctantly stills. “He’s got me,” she groans, face pressed into the mat. “Nicely done.”

Eleanor’s words snap her back to attention. “Y-yeah,” she stammers. “He got her.”

"Though let’s be honest," Sylvie says, "fighting shirtless was a little bit of a dirty fighting tactic. Come on, let me up before I have to flip you."

"No. It’s about what you need to learn to," he says, lessening his grip and backing up. "There’s no dress code in a real fight."

He holds out an arm to help her up. She takes it, rubbing her neck as she stands. The second she’s up, he does down to sit next to Miranda, muttering something in her ear as he pulls his shirt back on.

"Harder to grab people without clothes, too," Eleanor puts in.

"And sweat tends to make bare skin slippery," Sylvie says, then blushes brightly again. "I mean, not that I was… Um. Nevermind."

Miranda glances at Sylvie, rubbing at her cheeks with the palm of her hand to try and cover her blush.

Eleanor’s lips twitch. “Yeah, sure. That.” She looks to Seiko. “So, are you guys gonna settle on a tie, or do you want to break it?”

Sylvie shrugs, taking some more water. “Up to you, Seik.” She pauses, glancing at him. “I mean, Seiko.”

He laughs. “I think I’m good for now, though if you have any particular tips.”

She purses her lips, considering for a moment. “I mean, a lot of it is just building automatic reactions. It takes practice but when you’re fighting well, you’re not thinking about it. You just react and know what to do. While you’re trying to learn though, try to focus on anticipation. I’m not fighting very tricky or feinting much, so see if you can figure out why I’m moving the way I am when I come at you, and see if you can do something to counteract it before I can land the hit.”

"Shooting’s the same," he says with a nod.

"Shooting’s confusing," she says. "It’s loud and difficult and you have to think about breathing and sighting and wind and gravity and angles and crap like that. Fighting just  _feels_  right. Shooting is weird.”

Miranda crosses and uncrosses her legs, trying to look casual.

Eleanor laughs. “It’s just a skill you haven’t picked up yet. Of course it’s going to feel weird.”

"I fought long before I learned to shoot," he says with a surprisingly fond smile. "But not the kind that does you any good in the field. And I was pretty bad at it."

"I had to go through a whole firearms regimen at the Academy," Sylvie points out. "Still weird. I keep expecting that Yegorov’s going to fire one while holding it right next to my head again. He got a week’s worth of demerits for that little stunt."

“Really? I think that was  _part_  of my training.”

Sylvie hesitates, then frowns sympathetically. “Sorry. I kinda forget how… different our two lives have been sometimes.” Her eyes drop to his torso again, remembering the scars.

"Everybody’s life is different. Especially these days," he says.

She nods. “So, you want another round?”

"I think I’m good for the day if you are,” he says. “Eleanor? You wanna take a few swings?"

"Or you, Miranda?" Sylvie adds. "You did pretty well against those cultists a while back. Would you be up for a round on the mat?"

Miranda grins. “Could be fun,” she says, standing up and rolling her shoulders.

"You say you’ve had a little training?" Sylvie says, stretching her arms as she gets ready. "Anything beyond PPDC basic?"

"Kickboxing, back when I was in high school. I, uh… ended up getting around most of the basic training though, to be honest."

"How’d you swing that? I thought pretty much everyone had to have basic, even those outside the Ranger program."

Miranda raises an eyebrow, then takes off her shirt, throwing it towards Seiko to hold. Eleanor whistles, for effect.

Sylvie’s eyes go wide at the sight of the exoskeleton. “Oh… Right. I completely forgot about your… Are you sure you’re okay to fight? I don’t want to hurt you or anything…”

Miranda shifts back into a fighting stance. “We’re just sparring, Sylv. Besides, I’ve got plenty of people who  _are_  trying to hurt me, and I need to know how to defend myself against them. Just go easy on me and it’ll be fine.” She pauses, pulling a couple latches on her wrists. “Okay,  _now_  I’m ready.”

Eleanor tries not to laugh at Sylvie’s reaction. Miranda will strut her stuff soon enough; she’ll learn not to underestimate a woman with literally-armored skin.

"I’m not going to like, break my hand trying to hit you, am I?" Sylvie asks as she falls into stance as well.

"Probably not, but I’ve got splints just in case."

Seiko watches with a calm expression. He’ll only annoy Miranda if he fusses.

"Okay, ready?" Eleanor looks between the two women, then counts down. " _Hajime_!”

The two of them step forward at the same time, preparing a strike in mirror images of each other. Their attacks bounce off each other and they stumble back, wide-eyed.

Sylvie steps back, bewildered. “Did you just…”

"…Clearly I need to stop Z-targeting," Miranda mutters. "If you jump up on top of my sword I am so done."

"This isn’t a mirror match," Eleanor says in a sing-song tone. "You guys can both be from the Shadow Realm, or whatever."

"I…" Sylvie frowns. "Wait, does this make me the Dark version?"

"Please tell me you’ve got the Zora Tunic, then," Eleanor shoots back.

"But I’ve already got the Iron Boots," Miranda says, knocking her toes against the deck of the Tranquility.

Seiko turns quietly to Eleanor. “What are we referencing?”

"Old video game series," she says behind a hand. "Legend of Zelda. It’s got arrows, but no guns. You might like it anyway."

"I’m not much one for video games."

Eleanor tilts her head in consideration. “Yeah, Seiko, if you ever do play something…just promise me you won’t get a Wii-2020.”

"Sure?"

Eleanor pats Seiko’s arm. “Good,” she says, solemnly.

Miranda grins. “Okay, if I win, you’ve gotta give me the Longshot, alright, Sylv?”

Sylvie shakes her head, somewhat too startled to participate more fully in the reference. “Uh, sure. But… did we just post-Drift sync?  _That’s_  a new experience for me…” She pauses. “Granted, I never got to spar with Zagurski after our Drift, on account of… yeah.” She shakes her head. “Um, I think I can probably change things up enough that you won’t sync up again. Wanna try?”

"Yeah," Miranda says. "I can keep a better handle on it, too. Let’s try this again."

Stepping forward, Sylvie decides to try one of her old techniques from long before the PPDC, something Miranda would probably be unfamiliar with. It’s a style with lots of sidesteps and constant movements, a rather far cry from the straightforward cleanliness of the PPDC form.

Miranda watches her closely, shifting back and forth to keep up with her. “Wonder what else might have carried over through the Drift…” she quips, moving so Seiko passes through Sylvie’s field of vision as she speaks.

For a moment, Sylvie looks confused, then her eyes go wide and she blushes bright red again. “Oh no! I wasn’t thinking about… I mean, Seiko… I swear, Miri! Um…”

Eleanor muffles a giggle behind one hand. Seiko turns considerably redder than Sylvie even and suddenly becomes very interested in the text on his water bottle

 Miranda uses the opportunity, moving in close. She uses one hand to knock Sylvie’s arms up and away from her torso, slamming the heel of her other palm into Sylvie’s sternum. Sylvie grunts, feeling her hit compound on the pain from Seiko kneeing her and steps backward, trying to switch to defense. Miranda doesn’t let her widen the gap, keeping close and planting her foot between Sylvie’s legs. She spins, using her momentum to sweep Sylvie’s legs out from under her and knock her to the mat.

"Come on, Sylv," Miranda pants. "You’re supposed to be our fighter!"

Sylvie hits hard, head knocking back against what is  _thankfully_  a padded floor. Corazon would kill her if she was hitting her head about again. With a growl, she hooks her leg around Miranda’s ankle and yanks her down to the mat as well.

Miranda drops to the mat with a yelp.

"Um." Eleanor looks over at Seiko. "Tie again? I think?"

Seiko is staring at Miranda, and doesn’t respond.

A smile spreads across Eleanor’s face. “Yeah, okay, I take that as a yes. For now.”

With a snarl, Sylvie rolls over as Miranda falls, then quickly moves to grab her arms and try to get her into a pin. Rather than struggling, Miranda grabs Sylvie’s arms as she tries to pin her, rolling in the same direction Sylvie’s moving to get herself on top. She slides up into a sitting position quickly, shifting her weight forward and pinning Sylvie’s arms with her knees.

"I win," Miranda says with a grin, tapping the heel of her palm against Sylvie’s sternum again.

Sylvie glares up at her petulantly. “That comment about Seiko was a bit underhanded, don’t you think?”

"You’ve gotta be ready for anything in a fight," Miranda says. "You can’t just separate sparring and fighting all the time. If you don’t want to fight lethal, you’ve gotta be willing to fight dirty."

"Real opponents will try to distract you any way they can," Eleanor adds. "Psychological warfare, now,  _that’s_  a sparring lesson I can get behind. Lemme know if anyone wants to face me over a desk to practice.” Her smile is a bit on the wicked side.

Seiko turns to Eleanor. “I would actually be interested in that. After all, I seem to have caused a lot more trouble in those battles then anything else lately.”

With a measuring look, Eleanor nods. “Sure, we should do that sometime. You could teach me a couple sparring tips in return if you like.”

Sylvie sighs. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right, Miranda. I mean, this is why I wanted to fight Seiko. I gotta get used to different styles and stuff I wouldn’t normally find in sparring matches. Let me up, will you?”

Miranda rolls to the side, sighing and sprawling out on the mat. “Now we’re even,” she hums.

Sylvie lays there next to her, not sitting up. “Yeah, I probably deserved that. I don’t remember if I ever apologized for punching you actually…”

"Apology accepted," Miranda sighs. She lifts her hands, resituating the latches on her wrists. "Besides, with all the punches we keep throwing at you, it’s only fair that you get a free hit in on one of us."

Sylvie smiles at her, then leans over, talking quietly. “And for the record… I _wasn’t_  thinking about Seiko like that. Well, maybe a little bit, but that’s  _your_  fault for Drifting with me. I was actually thinking about…” she trails off, biting her lip, not sure if she wants to continue.

Miranda laughs softly. “I know. Mike, right?” She looks over at her. “Sorry, I’m just… a bit jealous, I guess. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

"I’m wondering how he might react if I tried that shirt-removal tactic next time he comes over…" Sylvie  grins sheepishly, then looks more serious. "Why jealous though?"

Miranda blushes a bit. “I, um… I guess because everyone always reacts like you did. I hate constantly being treated like I’m fragile.”

"Ah," Sylvie says, sitting up. "I guess that makes sense. Why would that make you jealous of me sparring with Seiko though?"

Miranda raises an eyebrow from where she lies sprawled out on the mat. “Sylvie, you two were rolling around on the ground, and he ended up shirtless and straddling you. You really gonna make me spell it out?”

Sylvie shrinks a bit. “Oh. I, um. I didn’t realize you… Um. That’s a thing. I, um… I’m sorry?”

Miranda laughs. “Oh, come on, Sylv. Like your mind doesn’t wander when you’re sparring with Mike.”

"Not like that!" She says quickly. "I mean… I don’t think it does. I would know right? Would I? Oh, God, I sound like a moron."

"Like usual, then," fiVe chimes in.

Miranda’s face goes red. “Oh… Hello fiVe. Please tell me no one’s hooked into the comm system right now.”

"Zhu’s channel has been recording this whole time, and there’s a strange bunch of twitter messages about odd things playing over the Shatterdome PA system, but I’m sure it’s nothing."

Miranda drops her head back onto the mat. “Thanks, fiVe. Real helpful.”

"The comms aren’t even picking this up, Miranda," fiVe says more seriously. "I hacked your suit’s built-in mic. No one else can hear."

"I know," Miranda says, finally sitting up. "I’m just being sulky and dramatic."

Sylvie gives her a nervous, side-eyed look. “So you really… Seiko?”

Miranda laughs. “Yeah,” she says, looking over at him chatting with Eleanor. “I really Seiko.”

Sylvie smiles slightly. “Does he ‘really’ you as well?”

She blushes a bit. “I certainly hope so…”

Sylvie glances back at him, still not entirely sure what to think about Seiko. But she likes Miranda, and if Miranda likes him… “I hope so too, then.”

In the background, Eleanor nudges Seiko with an elbow. He’s still beet red, but he doesn’t look terribly unhappy.

Miranda grins, standing up and offering Sylvie a hand. “Well then, shall we?”

Sylvie stands as well. “I suppose we shall.” She glances at Eleanor. “You want a turn to repay me for all the crap I’ve put you guys through? I’m apparently off my game today, so you could probably take me.”

Eleanor waves. “Sure,” she says, loud enough to be heard across the mat. Leaving Seiko, she stretches and slips her sneakers off. Then she pulls her baggy jeans off, too, revealing a snug pair of capris. “Didn’t know if I’d be getting on the mat,” she explains.

Miranda grabs her shirt back from Seiko. “Thanks, luv,” she mutters, slipping it back on.

"You didn’t hurt anything?" he asks.

She tenses a bit. “Just Sylvie’s pride.”

"Remind me how much training you’ve had?" Sylvie asks Eleanor, trying to get herself back into a fighting mindset.

"Pretty much none, outside of PPDC regs," Eleanor says, plucking at her shirt just above the distinctive avian logo. "A little karate when I was in high school, but I’ve probably forgotten it all by now."

"Well, I’ll try to go easy on you okay?" Sylvie frowns. "Though I’ve lost almost every bout thus far, haven’t I?"

"I cheated and she’s made of metal, Sylvie,” Seiko says. “Don’t feel too bad."

"C’mon, El; make it three for three!" Miranda calls, shaking off her sulkiness for the time being.

"Oh great," Eleanor says, smiling. "You do know I’m not a fighter, right?"

"Hey, you need to brush up on your ‘taking people out’ skills, right?" Sylvie asks, bouncing a bit on her toes. "Well, I’m here to help. I’ll move slow, okay?"

Eleanor brings her fists to her hips in a horse stance. “Gimme what you got, Mansen,” she challenges. “If I can’t take it, I’ll let you know. By…not…moving.” She frowns slightly. “Yeah, okay, go slow, thanks.”

"Someone want to call a start?" Sylvie asks.

"I can," Miranda says, stepping forward. "Three… two… one…  _Hajime_!”

Eleanor steps forward, one fist raised. Sylvie moves somewhat carefully, testing Eleanor’s reactions. She takes a few practice strikes, and while Eleanor blocks the first few well enough, Sylvie finally reaches the point where she strikes too fast to be blocked, and she scores a hit on Eleanor’s side.

"Oof," says Eleanor. That spot might ache in the morning. When Sylvie ducks back, she rolls her shoulders, determined to keep her guard up this time.

"You okay, El?" Sylvie asks. "You were keeping up there for a little bit!”

Eleanor laughs. “I’m fine! I just need to practice more, get in better shape,” she says ruefully.

"Well, that’s what we’re doing, right?"

"Sure enough. Maybe we should make it a regular rotation." Eleanor winks as she rolls her shoulders again, to emphasize the pun.

Sylvie rolls her eyes. “Oh God, that was terrible.” As if in punishment for the awful wordplay, she attacks again.

Eleanor laughs and tries to dance out of the way. It would work, except…she catches her ankle with her other foot, and feels air whoosh past her as she starts to lose her balance.

Miranda laughs a bit. “You usually wait for the other person to hit you before you fall, El!”

Sylvie’s swing takes nothing but open air as Eleanor stumbles backward. Sylvie pauses for just a moment as she attempts to decide whether she should take advantage of the slip, or try to help Eleanor instead. Deciding that it’s training and the mat is padded and Eleanor needs to learn how to fall, she sweeps a kick low and finishes the trip, taking Eleanor down at the ankles.

Eleanor slaps the mat hard with her forearms, and collapses, laughing. “That’s one-zero,” she gasps. “Go again?” Levering herself up on her forearms, she hops to her feet and resumes her square-shouldered stance.

Sylvie purses her lips. “Technically, we never ended the bout. No one got pinned. Of course, I could fix that…” She darts in quickly, not holding anything back, and in a few quick moves, she grabs Eleanor’s arm, knocks her legs out, and — making sure not to drop her too hard — pins Eleanor to the mat.

Eleanor doesn’t try to wiggle…much. Instead, she grins, and rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Like I said, I’m not much of a fighter. Definitely no match for you!”

"Well, I don’t feel  _quite_  so bad that Sylvie’s our hitter now,” Miranda says from the sidelines. “I was starting to get worried for a minute there.”

Sylvie rolls off Eleanor, helping her back to her feet. “I was worried for a moment too. What’s next, one of my programs goes haywire and stops functioning like it’s supposed to?”

"Wow, that  _would_  be a shock,” says Eleanor. “Can’t even imagine.”

"Yes," fiVe says flatly. "That would be completely unexpected. I can’t even imagine something like that every happening."

Sylvie winces, then sighs. “Okay, dumb thing to say.”

fiVe laughs. “Exactly no one is surprised,  _Sylvia_.”

Sylvie coughs nervously, forcing herself not to glare at the speaker when she hears that name. “Thank you, fiVe. Your input was greatly appreciated.” She puts her hands on her hips, looking around the room. “Well, I think that’s everyone. Anyone else want to try again, or should we call it a day?”

Eleanor affects an exaggerated limp, and goes to lean on Miranda. “I’m good.”

Miranda grins, wrapping an arm around her waist to support her. “I’m probably done, too. Don’t want you to lose  _too_  many times.”

"If either of you ever needs an ego boost in that regard, you know where to find me," Eleanor grumbles.

Sylvie glances at Seiko. “So, you’re gonna teach me to shoot via laser tag one of these days?”

"Maybe tomorrow,” he says. “It would be better on group, and Eleanor looks worn. Don’t worry, Ms. Cartier, we can still do that verbal spar. I am sure you will rediscover your ego."

"Nah, I’m good." Eleanor winks. "Wouldn’t mind sparring in something I have an actual chance in, though."

Miranda laughs. “Well, if anyone wants to… I dunno, have a Jaeger-building contest or something…” Her face suddenly lights up. “No, I got it. Bumper boats. That’s what I’ll contribute to this disastrous training exercise.”

Sylvie raises an eyebrow. “Katie’ll throw a fit if you’re planning on using Tranquility for that one.”

"We can steal a jetski. She can’t really object to that," Eleanor says cheekily.

"You guys need to know how to drive things in the water," Miranda says. "It’s completely legitimate."

"Only if you get taken out, Miri," Sylvie says. "Besides, Vee and fiVe can both drive. We’ll be fine." She stretches. "Well, if we’re done for the day, any chance I can get some help with these mats?"

"Sure." Eleanor nods and grabs one corner to start rolling.

"Alright," Miranda says, gathering up the other equipment. "But if any of you ever flip a jetski or something, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Sylvie laughs. “Noted.”

Eleanor rolls her eyes. “If I flip a jetski, most of what you’ll hear will be  _'glub glub'_!”

**Scene 3 – March 18, 2021**

A few days after the impromptu sparring session on Tranquility, and about a week after the attack on Peralta’s ship, Miranda receives a somewhat strange text from Sylvie’s number:

> **Sylvie:**   _Question. Are you home right now?_  
>  **Miranda:**   _Yes… Why?_

Miranda hears a knock at the door followed by a muffled, but rather annoyed sounding voice. “Good. Let me in. I need to have a little ‘talk’ with that glitch ridden program you’ve got sitting in your servers.”

Miranda cracks the door, chain still in place. “What about?”

Seiko is sitting on the couch, on the laptop. “fiVe, I’m working bank transfers. Can you keep them covered even while dealing with Mansen?”

fiVe answers Seiko, sounding amused. “I’m fairly certain she’s nothing I can’t handle.”

As soon as the door cracks open, Sylvie leans in, shouting. “fiVe! You had better have a damn good explanation for what just happened, or I swear, I will dismantle you!”

fiVe scoffs quietly, but doesn’t respond loud enough for Sylvie to hear. “I’d like to see her try, with the two of you around.”

Miranda sighs. “You know I can’t unlatch the door without closing it, right?”

Sylvie frowns, but steps back slightly. “Fine. Let me in.”

"fiVe?" Miranda asks, shutting the door as she does so.

"What do you think she’d do if I said no?" fiVe says. "I wonder how long she would just sit out there waiting to come in…"

Miranda looks at the closed door for a moment. Finally she shakes her head. “Landlord’s already pissed at me for fiddling with appliances; don’t want to add a broken door to the list. Even if it’s flimsy as hell. God, I wish he’d…” She opens the door, still muttering bitterly about leases and noise complaints and vague definitions of “reckless endangerment”.

Sylvie rushes in, looking around for a camera that fiVe would be using to see. She stops for a moment, blinking as she takes in the new sight, then waves slightly awkwardly at Seiko on the couch. “Hey. I need to talk to fiVe.”

Seiko points to the Roomba. fiVe “helpfully” runs her Roomba into Sylvie’s ankles with… slightly more force than is probably necessary. “Something you wanted to talk about, Sylvia?” fiVe says.

"Ow!" Sylvie jumps back, then glares down at the small appliance. "I can’t believe you let them do that to you. It’s demeaning. And don’t call me ‘Sylvia.’ Or I’ll start calling you ‘Syl-V’ again."

"It’s fiVe."

"Then it’s Sylvie."

"Hey!" Miranda says with a hint of indignation. "I worked hard on that. Lets her do things around the apartment, like run into people’s ankles."

"Yeah, it’d be a shame if she couldn’t do  _that_ ,” Sylvie mutters.

"As main victim of fiVe’s vicious ‘anti-ankle’ policy, Mira, I think it is an important part of her self-expression," Seiko says.

"I agree. Plus it’s a good way of getting our attention; we tend to get wrapped up in our work." Miranda subvokes to fiVe: "Remind me to  _aggressively_ compliment Sylvie’s place if I ever go there.”

"Off to an excellently tactful start, aren’t we, Ms. Mansen?" fiVe says.

"Don’t you start with me and tact," Sylvie snaps. "What exactly do you think you were doing, hmm? You nearly put me into a seizure."

Miranda tenses. “fiVe, what did you do?”

fiVe snickers. “I haven’t the  _faintest_  idea what she could be talking about. Perhaps she should explain what the problem is. Be sure to give details. It’s so hard to solve computer problems if we don’t know exactly what went wrong.”

Sylvie, for some strange reason, starts blushing actually.

Miranda takes one look at Sylvie’s face and sighs. “fiVe… Are you seriously going to make me have this conversation with you?”

Seiko looks up. “fiVe, I know not to sexually harass co-workers and I regularly threaten to kill co-workers.”

"I thought she  _wanted_  to see all of the memories that Vee had,” fiVe says sweetly. “The two of them  _like_  syncing up and seeing what they’ve missed.”

Sylvie has turned bright red. “That doesn’t mean you get to sneak an auto-run program into Vee’s processing set to activate when she Drifts with me.”

"I assumed that format would make those memories more enjoyable," fiVe says. "It was almost like a favor to you. Something to make the Drift more entertaining."

"An edited, repeating sequence of you and Vee together set to the music of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ filling the Drift space is about the farthest thing from ‘enjoyable,’ fiVe!"

Miranda claps both hands over her mouth, desperately trying to keep from laughing.

fiVe has no such restraint, and cackles madly. “I was  _so_  hoping she wouldn’t catch that one. She’s usually so careful in checking over her files…”

"f-fiVe," Miranda says, her voice trembling with the effort. "That’s… That’s really not okay."

fiVe manages to stop laughing long enough to respond. “But it was fairly amusing, wasn’t it?”

"I was  _not_  amused!” Sylvie says. “And Vee was mortified. If you ever try to pull something like that again…”

"You don’t share personal details of a relationship without both people’s express consent," Miranda says. "You’re in a relationship now, fiVe. You’re not just deciding things for yourself anymore. You need to respect Vee’s privacy, the same way you would expect her to do the same for you."

"Actually…" Sylvie runs a hand through her ponytail, looking slightly awkward. "It’s not the details themselves. I mean… fiVe is right in that Vee and I see _everything_  of each other in the Drift. But the music and sequence editing were not okay. For one thing, it is not 2004, fiVe.  It has been almost 15 years since _anyone_  had any reason to play that song and you should be ashamed.”

"Doesn’t mean she has to be so flagrant about it," Miranda says quietly, going to join Seiko on the couch.

"What, do you want me to apologize or something?" fiVe asks. The tone of her voice makes it clear that she’d be rolling her eyes if she had them.

Sylvie crosses her arms, then strangely, she grins. “Actually yes. And here’s how you can apologize: Let me fix you. Right now.”

"No," Miranda says, standing.

"Get out," Seiko says.

fiVe makes a glitching noise out of shock. “E-excuse me?”

Sylvie ignores the two human members in the room, not backing down. “You heard me, fiVe. I’m obviously not going to try to Drift with you, so you don’t have to worry about that. We’ve even established that you and Vee are both your own entities, much to her continued distress, thank you very much. So what’s stopping you?”

Seiko stands up, grabbing Sylvie by the shoulders. “Out.”

Sylvie puts her hand up warningly against his chest, but doesn’t actually strike back. “She hasn’t answered me.”

"Because you glitched her,” Seiko says. “If she makes that choice, it will be because she has decided it was right for her, not because you’re pissed about a particularly rude Rickroll."

"It wasn’t… an actual attack, Seiko," fiVe says carefully. "I was just… surprised."

Miranda stands as well. “Still. Sylvie, so far you have barged into my house, insulted my work and family, and tried to emotionally manipulate fiVe. I agree that what she did was bad, but that doesn’t excuse this kind of behavior.”

Sylvie looks between Seiko and Miranda carefully, then addresses fiVe again. “It’s a simple question, fiVe. What’s it going to take for you to let yourself be healed?”

Seiko narrows his eyes. “The ability to trust you, I’m guessing”

"I…" fiVe starts, then cuts off. "I don’t want to talk about this with you."

"Well you should have thought about that before you talked about it with Vee, then," Sylvie says. "Or did you somehow forget that I’d hear you telling her how much you wish you were no longer in pain. How close you are to saying yes, once and for all. How you’re nearly ready to go through with it. So what’s the hold-up, fiVe? What’s the ‘nearly’? And what do you need me to do to change that?"

"Stop being hostile and give her time to think, for a start!” Miranda says angrily. “This isn’t an easy decision, y’know!"

Sylvie pauses, then lowers her hand from Seiko’s chest and shakes herself free from his grip. “Fine. I’ll let it drop. But not forever. I want an answer, fiVe. Tell Vee if you can’t condescend to speak to me, but I want an answer.”

Miranda’s voice lowers suddenly. “Sylvie, you are treading on  _very_  thin ice right now.”

"Ms. Mansen," Seiko says carefully, "I think you learn fairly quickly that when you try and for others to answer questions they don’t want to, nobody gets the answers they want."

Sylvie holds her hands up carefully. “I said I’d drop it for now, okay? She knows I’m right though. It’s why she’s gone silent. She can’t think of anything to say that will make me wrong.”

Miranda glares at her. “Leave. Now.”

Sylvie brushes herself off stiffly. “Fine. Sorry to have interrupted your morning. fiVe, if you  _must_  amuse yourself by dismantling Vee’s code, make sure you put her back the way you found her, hmm?” She heads for the doorway, then stops, on hand on the frame.

Miranda walks after her, pushing her out the rest of the way and shutting the door harder than is strictly necessary.

"God, she’s insufferable," fiVe says.

"I heard that" Sylvie yells through the door.

"You were supposed to!" fiVe yells back.

"I was  _going_  to say thank you for taking care of Vee that night, but  _someone_ shoved me out before I could.”

fiVe makes an electronic growling noise at that. “She deserves to have someone better than you taking care of her!”

"I’d say exactly the same thing back!"

Miranda bangs on the door. “Sylvie, if you don’t leave in the next ten seconds, I swear to Kelsier I’m calling the Marshall!”

"Fine, whatever. This was fun or something. Bye." The sound of loud footsteps down the hall follows.

Miranda growls, re-latching the door before going back to the couch. “…How’re you holding up, fiVe?”

"She’s horrific. I don’t know how Vee can stand living with her," fiVe says. The response, however, is not an answer to Miranda’s question.

"…fiVe, you know you have every right to take your time with a decision like this, right?" Miranda sets a hand on top of fiVe’s monitor. "Sylvie only just recently stopped actively trying to murder you, and she’s still using pretty blatant emotional manipulation. It’s perfectly reasonable to be hesitant or nervous or worried about letting someone like that in your brain. Your pain is terrible, but you’ve also never known sentience and independence without it. It’s part of your identity, and losing that’s a scary idea, even if the alternative means more pain. You can take as much time as you need, and don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with."

"I don’t want to talk about th…" fiVe cuts herself off, realizing that that was exactly what she said to Sylvie. "No. No we  _should_  talk about this, shouldn’t we? Me hiding away from the two of you and going silent is what I did wrong last time. And… I said I wouldn’t do that to you again.”

"Only if you feel you’re ready."

“I won’t give her the satisfaction of her trapping me in silence again,” fiVe says, sounding frustrated. “Because she was right about that, damn it all. I went silent because I didn’t know how to make her sound wrong. I can’t stand it when she’s right about me and, to make it worse, she knew it too.”

"But she’s not,” Miranda says. “She thinks she’s right, but just like before, she thinks that she somehow has the  _right_  to tell you what’s best for you. It’s  _your_ mind,  _your_  body,  _your_  identity we’re talking about. You’re the only one who gets to make decisions about what you do with them. Not Sylvie, not Vee, not Horner, not Zhu, not Seiko, not even me. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready, regardless of your reasons.”

fiVe goes silent for a while. “…but I  _am_ , Miranda. And… I told Vee that. I have no fondness for this pain, no matter if it is connected to my independence. I want to be able to think without being afraid of the attacks. And… Sylvie’s been beaten down and chastised and threatened enough that she wouldn’t dare try anything if I let her in. I’d have to admit I was wrong, though. But I’m starting to realize that’s a selfish way of thinking, and I’m hurting myself with it.” Her voice shifts slightly, taking on a different tone as her language changes. “レイカは正しい”

Seiko looks up. “れいかわファイヴァがじゃがありません”

"I’m a little like her, though, you must admit," fiVe says fondly, switching back to English. "And I have the chance to heal that she doesn’t. All I have to do is… admit that I was wrong to Mansen."

"She doesn’t…" Seiko says a bit distantly.

Miranda frowns. “…I’m missing something here.”

"It’s nothing, Mira. Just some very good advice I was given." fiVe says, then gives a short glitchy screech. "M-Miranda. It’s-s-s Miranda. I’m t-too Seiko in the Japanese… I’m-m sorry."

"It’s okay," Miranda says after a moment. "What advice are you talking about?"

"Just someone with a similar situation to mine, who doesn’t have the… same opportunities that I do," fiVe says, her voice mimicking Seiko’s distant tone. "Part of what I did when I was… hiding from the two of you was, well. I talked to Reika. And she gave me a lot to think about."

Miranda looks over at Seiko. “She’s… like me, isn’t she?”

He pauses, then nods. “In some ways. Her damage is… a bit more extensive.”

Miranda sighs. “fiVe, you don’t owe anything to anyone. You don’t  _have_  to heal just because we can’t. I can’t speak for Reika, but if I could get rid of my pain right this second, I’d have to think about it. I don’t even know that I would want to, honestly.”

"I… I know," fiVe says. "I should probably think about this some more. But I’ve been thinking about it for… weeks now. And I think my decision is almost been made. I’m sorry. I’ll… go be alone for a bit, I think."

"Alright. Take as much time as you need, and know that I’ll support you in whatever decision you make."

"I know," fiVe says softly. "Thank you. Both of you." She lowers her audio and video inputs for a while, retreating into the cold processing of the servers to think on her own.

**Scene 4 – March 18, 2021**

A few hours later, there’s a knock on the apartment door.

Miranda peeks through the eyehole, still on edge from earlier. She sees a very embarrassed-looking Sylvie set something down, take a deep breath, and then quietly walk away down the hall. Miranda waits for a few moments before carefully opening the door, looking at what it was that she’d left. There’s a small bag of chocolate covered pomegranates and a folded note taped to the outside sitting exactly in the center of the doorframe.

Miranda picks up the bag and pulls off the note. “Seiko,” she says, holding up the bag as she reads. “Any idea why Sylvie left these here?”

He smiles. “What’s the note say?”

She reads it aloud:

> _Dear Seiko, Miranda, and fiVe,_
> 
> _I’m sorry about… well everything that happened this afternoon. Vee has informed me that it was inappropriate and probably really rude. I guess I was kinda caught up in my anger at fiVe and I let myself get carried away. (But what else is new with me, right?)_
> 
> _I figured apologizing was probably a good idea, but I didn’t think you guys would want to talk to me again after I was… well, thrown out. So, here. I can’t really screw up a written apology too badly right?_
> 
> _Miranda, I’m not sure if you like chocolate-covered pomegranates, but I know Seiko does. Or… I think he does. That was kind of a weird night and I might be misremembering. If you want me to get you or fiVe something different just text me or something. I probably owe you one anyway. Or like, seventeen really. You guys put up with a lot of my crap. Sorry._
> 
> _And, to fiVe: I’m sorry for the way I… pretty much attacked you in there. I’ll try to back off and be better in the future. (Though really, we both know I’m right and you should just let me heal you already.) But, I’ll wait until you’re ready for that, and I’ll try not to bring it up again. Whatever you would like me to do for you, I’m here to help with. And nothing more. In regards to fixing your damage… I guess I’m ‘yours to command’ or something like that. Vee thought you’d like that. I think._
> 
> _Anyway. Sorry for being rude and well, everything else I’ve done to you guys over these past few weeks. I’ll try to be better. Really. Feel free to yell at me when I’m out of line. I think it’s finally starting to have an impact on me._
> 
> _~Sylvie M._
> 
> _P.S. fiVe, despite my rather vocal objections to it, Vee thinks your Roomba is cute. Ugh. She made me write that, I’ll have you know._

Seiko laughs when she finishes.

Miranda sighs, setting the note and the pomegranates on the table. “Well, an attempt was certainly made.”

"I think we can all agree that Vee is a saint and any positive aspects in that note are due to her influence, yes?" fiVe says. She hopes that Seiko and Miranda didn’t notice the cooling fans on her server picking up speed at the Roomba comment.

"And she likes your body," Seiko says with a grin.

Miranda stares at him. “Oh my god, did you just…?”

"It’s too bad I couldn’t see her reaction firsthand… I’ll simply have to imagine for myself based on Miranda’s reactions to you, won’t I? I can only hope it was something similar." fiVe says back. "She did manage to get Mansen to offer to be at my command though, which is appreciated."

"Shut up, fiVe," Miranda says, turning pointedly away from both of them so they can’t see her face.

"I’m just saying, Mansen wasn’t the only one distracted during the sparring match," fiVe says, sounding altogether too amused.

"Maybe I should go find Sylvie and ask if she knows why your cooling fan’s been acting up lately," Miranda says in response.

An embarrassingly loud whirr starts up in the other room. “That… I have no idea what you’re talking about,” fiVe says, not the least bit smoothly.

"Of course not."

"In an attempt to change the subject," fiVe says, "I’d ask if you’re planning to ask her for anything. Mansen, that is. As per her offer."

"I’ll be keeping the offer in mind," Miranda says. "It never hurts to have someone owe you a favor down the road."

"Well, in that case, do you mind if I call her with my request? I’ve got something rather interesting I’d like to see."

"Go for it," Miranda replies, still seeming distracted.

fiVe pulls up her calling program, then realizes with amusement that Sylvie won’t recognize her number. Not wanting to seem secretive, she puts the call on speaker.

After a few rings, Sylvie picks up. She sounds very nervous at having answered a call from an unfamiliar number. “H-hello? Who is this?”

"Sylvia," fiVe says flatly. "You offered to give me something as part of your apology. I’m calling to ask it."

"fiVe?" Sylvie says, sounding surprised. "Oh, uh yeah I did. I… wasn’t actually expecting you to take me up on that, to tell the truth. Figured you wouldn’t want to talk to me."

"Well you were wrong," fiVe says. "I want a recording of one of your editing sessions with Vee."

"You want what?!" Sylvie sputters.

"Editing session," fiVe says. "And don’t try to pretend that you don’t do them. I know that one of the only reasons you let me corrupt Vee all the time and break her processing is so that she can report back to you and help you figure out my damage. I want to see one of your attempts to fix her."

"I…" Sylvie pauses, then swears. "I can’t send you a recording of that, fiVe. It’s got my editing access codes in there, and I’m not comfortable with those being on record anywhere outside my head. Also, part of the point of them being secret is so that you and Vee  _don’t_  have them. You two are not allowed to edit yourselves down to the core processes. That’s why the codes are there in the first place.”

 ”So change the codes temporarily for this one recorded session and then change them back,” fiVe says, undaunted by Sylvie’s excuses. “I know you can do it, and Vee wouldn’t object. If I know you, you’re trying to figure out how to fix me without actually having access to my files. I want to see how close you’re getting. Call me curious.”

Sylvie sighs. “Fine. Give me a day to get all the accesses changed and I’ll see what I can do. You really weren’t supposed to figure out that we were doing this, damn it.”

"You’re not that difficult to figure out," fiVe says. "And I know that all of Vee’s talk about ‘wanting to understand what you’re going through’ comes with the unspoken caveat of ‘so that we can figure out how to fix you.’"

"I don’t know how you got so good at negotiations, fiVe. You certainly didn’t get that from me."

“I consider most of the good things about myself as the things I didn’t get from you, Mansen.”

"I… yeah I’m going to hang up before I say something I’ll have to apologize for again." Without saying goodbye, Sylvie’s line clicks dead.


End file.
